The Cottage Hideaway
by snapple79
Summary: Sam & Andy aren't supposed to see each other during their suspension, but they break the rules again and secretly run off together. Set post S2/pre S3.
1. Chapter 1

Thanks to svugirl25 for suggesting this story idea. I had a lot of fun exploring what would have happened if Sam and Andy decided to run off together during their suspension. For the purpose of this story, both of their suspensions were three months, and I tried to be as realistic as possible with Sam's injuries/healing, but don't shoot me if it's not 100 percent accurate. :) The story is set during the suspension, so nothing from S3 has happened yet, but I've borrowed some lines/conversations from S3.

This story will be a few chapters and I'll be updating pretty quickly. Reviews are wonderful, so please let me know what you think!

Disclaimer: I don't own Rookie Blue.

* * *

**Chapter 1**

"What happened?" Sam asked as Andy walked toward his truck.

"I got suspended," she said sadly. "You?"

He glanced away from her, pissed at himself that he got them both in trouble by calling her back to his undercover apartment. "I got yelled at…and then I got suspended."

"Sam," she said breathlessly.

He didn't know what she was about to say, but didn't want to hear her apologize, so he spoke before she could. "Wanna try being normal together?"

"How are we gonna do that?" Andy asked, her lips slowly curving into a smile.

"I don't know. I have no idea," he replied, smiling. He didn't really know what normal was, but what he did know was he wanted whatever it was with Andy. "Need a ride?"

She nodded and opened the door of his truck. She didn't ask where they were going when he pulled out onto the street; she already knew. Alarm bells were going off in her head. They weren't supposed to be seeing each other, but at this moment she didn't care. She watched him out of the corner of her eye as his eyes remained focused on the road.

Both exhausted from the last 48 hours, they didn't talk much on the ride to Sam's or as they changed out of their clothes and collapsed onto his bed. Wearing one of his black t-shirts, she curled into his side, mindful of his injuries. She just wanted to feel him under her hands, know that he was still alive. "I'm glad you're okay," she whispered.

"I'm glad you're here," he whispered back.

Soon, the only thing that could be heard was their breathing as they both fell into a deep sleep.

They woke up the next morning as sunlight filtered through the curtains of Sam's bedroom. Andy laid on her side, tracing his bruises with her fingertips. "We're being incredibly stupid...again," she said, looking over at him.

Sam sighed. He'd been watching her and knew her eyes held more than sadness about his injuries.

"Why's that?"

"You know why." She flopped on her back and stared at the ceiling. "I shouldn't even be here. Three months, Frank said three months."

"They'll never know." He started to roll on his side so he could face Andy, but grimaced from the pain and quickly laid on his back again.

"Frank said no contact. I don't know how to do that. I don't know how not to see you. I don't know what I'm supposed to do," she admitted. She didn't want to come across as needy, but she had to be honest with him. Three months was a long time and they had to figure out how they were going to stay away from each other to save their jobs.

"We could run away," he said, grinning when Andy glanced over at him. He was only half joking.

"Sam, we've been suspended for conduct unbecoming. We get caught and we'll never be cops again. I love my job. I need to follow every rule, show I can keep my emotions in check, prove to them I deserve my job back." She rolled onto her side, propping her head on her hand so she could look at Sam.

"I get it. All you want is your job...but all _I_ want is you." He let out a frustrated sigh and pushed himself off the bed before she could respond. He padded into the bathroom to get more pain meds, hoping it might also help the new pain forming in his heart. She'd said she wanted to be normal together, but less than 12 hours later was already second-guessing her decision.

Andy followed him into the bathroom and pushed herself up onto the counter next to the sink. "That's not fair. After everything, I can't believe you'd think that."

"What am I supposed to think? We finally have a chance to be together and you want space." He popped two pills in his mouth and took a drink of water. Crumpling the empty paper cup, he tossed it in the trash can.

Andy sighed. She didn't _want_ space, but it was being forced upon them. If it was her choice, she'd spend every day of the next three months with Sam. Frank's voice echoed in her head - c_onduct unbecoming, unprofessional, tribunal deciding her fate._ But then she looked at Sam. She thought about what she almost lost and how she wasted so much time pushing her feelings for him aside. She didn't want to waste more time. She wanted to be with him now. She didn't want to wait. "You're serious about running away?"

"Yeah, I am."

Andy swallowed thickly and closed her eyes. She couldn't believe she was seriously entertaining the thought of running away with Sam. Running away from their problems, violating their suspension, lying to their friends. When she opened her eyes, Sam was standing directly in front of her and she searched his face, wondering if he was thinking the same thing. She refused to let herself overthink this. "Okay. Where will we go?"

Sam's eyes widened in shock. He was positive the words were only in his head and she hadn't said anything. "What?"

"How will we do this? Where will we go?" she asked, smiling.

He placed his good hand on the counter, brushing against her bare leg, and leaned in pressing his lips to hers. "You sure about this?" She nodded her head. "You were right before. We're being incredibly stupid. No one can know. Not even Nash."

"I don't want to be miserable, thinking about you and missing you _every_ day. I want to do this. But how do we keep it from everyone when we both leave town?"

Sam got a playful grin on his face. "We treat it like an undercover op. Create a plan, our stories, stick to it and then go hide away for three months."

Andy grinned and circled her arms gently around his body. "So, we're really doing this?"

"We are."

When his stomach rumbled, Andy giggled. "Maybe we should create a plan for breakfast first."

Sam backed up, so Andy could hop off the counter. They headed to his kitchen to find something edible in his nearly bare cupboards and began to craft their plan.

"You ready for this?" Sam asked as they stood near his front door more than two hours later; his hands around her waist, hers linked behind his neck.

Andy nodded and then heard the beeping of a car horn. "That's the cab." She leaned in to kiss him. "I'll see you in three days."

"Three days," he confirmed.

"Take your meds. And don't overdue it." She was worried about him - the bruises darkening with every passing minute, the brace hiding what happened to his wrist.

"I will." He opened the door and watched Andy walked toward the curb. She turned, throwing him a smile, before getting into the cab. When it was out of sight, Sam closed the door of his apartment and went off to find his suitcase.

When Andy's cab pulled up to Traci's, Andy kicked herself for not getting her own place sooner. She just hoped she'd gotten better at lying as she walked in to face her best friend.

"Andy! Where have you been? You didn't, you know..." Traci rushed over to her friend the moment she walked in the door.

"Hey, Trace. No. I, uh, spent the night at my dad's. I just, you know, didn't want to face anyone after everything," Andy quickly replied.

Traci narrowed her eyes, but decided to give her friend the benefit of the doubt. "It's going to be okay. Three months will pass by quickly."

"Yeah, I know. I, um, I'm thinking of getting out of town. You know, keep the temptation further away," Andy said, sitting on the couch and pulling out her laptop.

Traci plopped herself down next to Andy. "I guess that's one way not to violate the rules. Where are you gonna go?"

Andy pulled up a travel website, so she could start looking for plane tickets. "I was thinking of heading up north, this place my dad and I used to go to. Do some hiking, canoeing. Being alone, it'll give me time to think. I just, I can't stay here."

Traci put a comforting hand on Andy's shoulder. She could tell her friend was nervous and figured she was worried about Sam moving on. "You know he'll be here for you when you get back, right? He cares about you. He'll wait."

"I know." Andy bit her bottom lip and continued scrolling through airfare. "Do you think you could drop me at the airport Friday afternoon?"

"Sure. How long are you going to stay away?"

Andy shrugged her shoulders, following the plan her and Sam had developed that morning. "Maybe the whole three months. I just don't want to come back here and be tempted."

"Well, whatever you need, just let me know," Traci said, getting up from the couch. "I have to get to the station." She put on her coat and had her hand on the door when she turned back to Andy. "You're doing the right thing."

Andy smiled. "Thanks. See you later, Trace."

When Traci was gone, Andy began booking the reservation for the cottage they were going to rent in Temagami. It was part of a large resort, but secluded so they'd be on their own most of the time. This wasn't camping, but the city boy was going to be face to face with wilderness and just thinking about that made Andy smile. With her flight and the cottage booked, Andy began to make a packing list, so she wouldn't forget anything.

* * *

When Sam heard a knock on the door, he wondered who it could be and was happy to see Oliver standing on his front stoop. "Come on in, Ollie."

"Thought I'd check up on you," he said, glancing around the apartment as he walked in.

"She's not here."

Oliver held his hands up in defeat. "Just wanted to see how you were, make sure you were managing on your own okay." As much as he wanted to check on the well-being of his friend, he also wanted to make sure Andy hadn't come over. He knew they cared about each other, but he wanted them both to get their jobs back. As he sat down on the couch, he saw an airline reservation lying on the coffee table. "Where you headed?"

"Out of town. I can't just stay here. I won't know what to do with myself for three months, or how to stay away from her," he replied.

"Vancouver, huh?" Oliver said, reading the destination on the confirmation. Sam was glad they'd decided to book him a fake ticket in addition to his real destination, otherwise Oliver would likely have put the pieces together quickly.

"Yeah, figure I'll relax in luxury for a while, travel around a bit, maybe hit the states, then stop by Sarah's once my bruises heal," he said, gesturing to his wrist and face.

"Sarah would kill you if she knew you were hurt."

"Exactly why St. Catharines will be last on my list," Sam said. "Hey, you think you could drop me off at the airport Thursday? I'd hate to leave my truck there long-term." He could easily take his truck, but he and Andy decided it was better for both of them to have alibi's that they went to the airport alone on different days. Just in case anyone raised any questions.

"Yeah, sure, not a problem." Oliver waited a moment before addressing what he thought was the elephant in the room. "So, uh, McNally know you're going away?"

"Haven't talked to her since I booked the ticket." It was true. He hadn't talked to her since he booked the ticket half an hour earlier, and Oliver didn't need to know, couldn't know, they'd concocted this plan together.

"So, you two…are you, uh, you know…I thought with everything that happened..." Oliver was used to teasing Sam about his former rookie, but getting serious was harder for him to articulate.

Sam knew what his friend was getting at, despite fumbling over his words. "I guess we'll see what happens in three months."

"Alright then, I'll just get going," Oliver said, standing up. "I'll see you Thursday."

"Tell Zoe and the girls I said hi," he said as they walked to the door.

It was good to see his friend, but Sam was glad when Oliver left. The less he had to lie to him, the better.

* * *

Andy stepped off the plane at the North Bay Airport and made her way through the small building to baggage claim. A grin erupted on her face when she saw him standing there in his classic jeans, a red shirt and his leather jacket. Her eyes narrowed seeing him wearing sunglasses indoors, but she quickly realized it was probably to hide the bruises around his eye. "Hi," she said once she walked up to him.

He wrapped his good arm around her waist and pulled her close so he could kiss her. When he pulled back, he nudged her nose with his. "Hi."

A loud buzz interrupted them, indicating the luggage from her plane was about to come out and they walked over to the carousal. As she watched each suitcase come out, she looked for hers. "Did you enjoy your night in North Bay?"

"Not as much as I'll enjoy it now that you're here," he whispered in her ear. She blushed, but glanced up at him and smiled.

"There it is," she said, pointing to her suitcase. Sam made a move to grab it until Andy slapped his hand away. "You're injured! I've got it." She dragged it off the baggage carousel clumsily, almost hitting an old lady standing near her.

"Watch it McNally, we don't want to send anyone to the hospital," he teased.

"Shut up," she said playfully, and began wheeling her suitcase outside. It wasn't until then she realized Sam had his own suitcase with him. "You brought it with you?" she asked, pointing to his suitcase.

"Figured we could head right to the car rental and start driving to Temagami, rather than stop back at the hotel," he said, pointing to where the cabs were lined up.

"Good idea. I just want to get there and relax."

"Let's go then," he said smiling.

They quickly made their way to the rental car office and began the hour drive up to Temagami. It was a fairly quiet drive and Andy enjoyed being in the driver's seat for once. They chatted about the beautiful scenery and what they might do over the next three months to explore the area. When they got to town, they stopped for a quick dinner and then stocked up on items at the grocery store before heading to the resort's administrative office to pick up the keys for the cottage they'd rented.

It took another 20 minutes to maneuver the back roads lined by forest and locate their cottage hideaway. This resort in particular was well-known for its secluded camp grounds and cottages, which was one of the reasons Andy choose it. Even though they were hours away from Toronto, she had this nagging fear someone they knew would run into them and blow this whole thing.

Andy got out of the car and looked at the cottage, a good-sized wooden structure with a large picture window in the front that looked out to the forest. She walked up the few steps to a small porch and noticed piles of wood stacked in the corner. Glancing up, she saw the top of a stone chimney on the side of the building.

Sam followed her, with a hand on the small of her back as she unlocked and opened the door to the cottage. She couldn't believe how cute it was. "It's just like in the photos," she squealed. To the left of the door was a small living room area, with a couch, television, a couple of bookcases and the fireplace. Tucked against the wall to her right was a kitchen that was rather large for a one-room cottage like this. In the back left corner was a luxury bed that looked so comfortable, she couldn't help but run over and jump on it. "Comfy!" She continued to survey the room. The door to a small bathroom, another door to what she assumed was a closet and a large dresser occupied the wall across from the bed. "I love it," she said, as Sam walked over to her.

"I'm glad. Now can we get the stuff from the car before it gets dark and bears decide to sneak up on us?" Andy wasn't sure if he was being serious and she broke out into a fit of laughter.

"You really are a city boy," she managed to get out between laughs. He rolled his eyes and simply watched as she bounced off the bed and headed out to their rental car. He followed, popping open the truck so he could access their suitcases. "Sam! You shouldn't be lifting those."

"Andy, I have a few bruises, I'm not broken. I can handle our suitcases. You get the groceries," he said, before pulling her bag out of the trunk.

She stood watching him, nervously biting her bottom lip. As he lifted the suitcase up the stairs, she was ready for him to yell out in pain or collapse in front of her. She knew she was probably overreacting, but she also knew he was not telling her the full extent of the injuries. When he reached the door of the cottage, she finally turned around and plucked the grocery bags out of the backseat.

Half an hour later everything was inside and the groceries were unpacked. Andy began to unpack her suitcase, but stopped when she saw the beautiful sunset out the large window next to the bed. Sam walked out of the bathroom to find her standing there. "Hey," he said quietly as he walked up to her.

"Hey," she said, as his hands circled her waist from behind. He pulled her until she leaned back against him. "We have three months of this." She waved towards the beautiful scenery in front of them.

As wonderful as the sunset was, Sam had other things on his mind, as this was the first time they'd been together and alone in days. He kissed her earlobe softly, hesitating briefly before he placed another kiss on her neck. "Sam..." Despite her attempt at a protest, she tilted her head so he could easily continue placing kisses along her neck.

"Mmmhmm," he mumbled against her skin. His kisses made her feel like she was drowning. She felt heavy and incapable of doing anything but stand there in his arms. She fought to open her eyes and turned around, placing her hands on the nape of his neck. She was about to say something, but Sam silenced her words by pressing his lips against hers. His good hand traced the side of her body as it came up to cup her cheek. When the need for air became too great, they parted and Sam pulled back only enough so his eyes could roam her face.

"Sam," she said breathlessly. "I want to but, I could injure you more. We have to wait."

He closed his eyes and rested his forehead on hers. "I know." Even breathing heavy was making his abdomen scream out in pain. Well, that and the fact he probably shouldn't have been lifting their suitcases, but he'd never admit that out loud.

She shifted so she could lay her head on his shoulder and circled her arms around his back. He closed his eyes as he felt her steady breath on his neck and brushed his fingers against the bare skin of her lower back where her shirt had ridden up. They stood like that until the sun disappeared below the horizon and the only light came from a small lamp casting an orange glow throughout the cabin.


	2. Chapter 2

Wow, I think I've been grinning like a fool since the first review popped up in my email. :) You guys are awesome! I'm so glad everyone likes this story so far! To all the guest reviewers who I can't personally respond to, thank you for your kind comments and thank you for reviewing! And thank you to everyone who has reviewed, favorited or followed this story. Hope everyone enjoys this chapter as much as the first. :)

Disclaimer: I don't own Rookie Blue.

* * *

**Chapter 2 **

A week after they arrived at the cottage, Andy was lying on the couch flipping through a magazine, her head resting on Sam's thigh, while he caught up on the news and latest hockey scores.

"What do you want for dinner tonight?" he asked, glancing away from the television. She tilted her head to look up at him and placed the magazine on her chest, but didn't answer. "We have the leftovers from the restaurant last night, or I could make something with the chicken we bought."

"You don't have to cook. Leftovers are fine."

"I like to cook, Andy." He laid his hand on her arm, brushing his thumb lightly against her skin.

"You're supposed to be relaxing and healing, and you've been cooking almost every night."

Sam chuckled. "Cooking isn't very stressful. I think I can manage."

"Okay, but let me help," she said, sitting up. He turned off the television and they walked over to the small kitchen area. Sam took a bunch of things out of the refrigerator, placing lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers and shredded carrots at one end of the counter.

"You're giving me the salad?" she asked, quirking her eyebrows.

"What? It's a very important part of the meal," he said, smirking.

Andy rolled her eyes and grabbed a knife, the cutting board and a big glass bowl. As she began cutting up the vegetables for the salad, she looked over at Sam preparing the chicken. "What are you gonna make?"

"Chicken parmigiana with a secret recipe for the sauce," he answered as he mixed ingredients in a bowl.

She finished making the salad and watched Sam place the chicken in the stove. He checked his watch to note when the food started cooking and then rummaged around the freezer, pulling out a bag of frozen mashed potatoes. He usually went with homemade, but given the limitations of the kitchen, he had bought the frozen kind. He set it in a bowl ready to be microwaved and felt Andy's eyes on him. He turned toward her with a cocky grin on his face. "Like what you see?" He walked over to where she was leaning against the counter.

"You're a sexy cook," she said, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"You're sexy when you try to cook," he said, earning a playful smack on the arm. "Hey."

She leaned up to kiss him just as her phone started ringing. Pulling it out of her pocket, she read the caller ID. "It's Traci." Sam backed away and sat at the small kitchen table. "Hey Trace."

"Hey, Andy! Thought I'd check on you, see how you were doing," Traci said.

"Oh, you know, there's a lot to explore here. Just taking it one day at a time," Andy replied, looking at Sam for reassurance that her story sounded good. He gave her an encouraging look.

"So, you know Swarek left town too?" Traci wasn't going to beat around the bush.

"Uh, really? Where'd he go?"

"You wouldn't happen to know that would you?"

"Me? Why? I left town, I have no idea where he would go." Andy worried her bottom lip, hoping her friend was buying this.

"Okay, well, Oliver drove him to the airport last week. Guess he's doing some traveling, had the same worry about temptation that you did."

"Oh, well, I guess we think alike."

"You sure he didn't tell you where he's going?" Traci asked.

"Why would he tell me? We're not supposed to see each other until the suspension's over," Andy said, tapping her fingers on the counter nervously.

"I guess I'm just surprised both of you left without talking to each other after everything that happened." She paused for a moment, disappointed in herself for questioning her friend. "Anyway, are you really having fun up there alone?"

"It has its moments. And it's beautiful up here, the forest, the lakes, it's a great place to relax."

"I'm glad you're having a good time. Look, I gotta run. But I miss you and we're going on a girl's night out when you get back."

Andy smiled for the first time since she answered the phone. "I miss you too Trace. Give Leo a hug for me."

* * *

_Back in Toronto_

Traci hung up her cell phone and looked at Oliver. "There's no way they're together. I can totally tell when Andy is lying and she's not."

Oliver fidgeted with his cell phone, wondering if he should call Sam. There was something suspicious about both of them leaving town at the same time, even if they seemed to be going to separate places. "I'll call Sammy later, see if I can get anything from him."

"Oliver, do you really think they'd violate the rules after everything that happened?" Traci asked, doubtful her friend would risk her job like that.

He took a deep breath. "_Because_ of everything that happened, I know Sammy would. But McNally has a good head on her shoulders." He shrugged. "I just don't know."

* * *

Andy pocketed her phone. "Did I sound okay?" she asked nervously.

"You were fine. No one's going to know we're together."

She sat down across from him at the table. "Traci asked me if I knew you had left town too." He nodded, guessing that from hearing her end of the conversation. "She's gonna figure it out, they're gonna know." She worried her bottom lip as she looked down at her fidgeting hands.

"If, and that's a big if. If she realizes we're together, she's not going to tell anyone. She's your best friend, Andy. Same goes for Oliver or Jerry, or even Epstein, Diaz or Peck for that matter. They're our friends. If they see through our cover stories, they're not going to blow the whistle on us."

Andy pouted not entirely convinced.

"And if you're that worried, we don't have to be together. I can leave." It would pain him to leave, but he had to give her an out. He didn't want to see her walking around anxious for the next three months.

"I don't want you to," she said softly. "I'm overthinking it, aren't I?" Sam simply nodded. She thought about it for another minute, realizing he was probably right. "That smells great," she said, looking over at the oven.

"It should be ready soon," he replied, getting up to set the table.

She met him at the counter and nudged his hip with hers. "Sorry I'm a neurotic freak sometimes."

"But you're _my_ neurotic freak." He kissed her temple and smiled. "It's okay to be worried, keeps you on your toes and our secret hidden."

* * *

After dinner was cleaned up, Andy pulled out her laptop and when she brought up her email she saw one from Frank with the subject 'Suspension.' Sam had just grabbed another beer when he saw the worried look on her face. "What's wrong?"

"I have an email from Frank."

"And?"

"I don't know. I'm afraid to open it."

"You won't know what it says until you open it," he said, sitting down next to her on the couch.

She hesitated for another minute, but finally clicked the message to open it. She skimmed through it quickly and let out a deep breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. "It just says when my tribunal is scheduled for. Exactly on the 90th day of the suspension. Guess there's no chance the suspension will be reduced."

She passed the laptop to him, knowing he'd want to check his email. A few minutes later he was reading a similar email. "My meeting is scheduled the same day."

"Do you think they'll reinstate us?"

"We're great cops, they have to. And Boyd is the one at fault for what happened. Nothing we did compromised me or the op," he replied.

"What are we gonna say to the tribunal?" she asked nervously.

"I'm going to tell them my personal life is none of their business and it has not gotten in the way of me doing my job. The same thing I've already told you," he replied, passing the laptop back to her.

She shook her head, knowing she could never get away with saying that to the tribunal. "Yeah, well, I'm not in the same position as you. You break all the rules, you do whatever you want, but that's not me. I'm only two years on this job, a job I really love."

"So, what...what are you going to tell them?"

"I guess, that I've learned my lesson, the hard way. And I've followed every rule of the suspension and I'll continue to do so if I'm reinstated." She paused as she thought about what else she might say. "That I'm here to keep my emotions in check and to protect and serve because that is my job and god knows, I love my job."

"So, you'll lie." Sam was blunt as his frustration was boiling to the surface.

"Isn't that what we're doing right now? I obviously can't tell them I ran off with you and violated one of the main rules they imposed. And in doing so I did exactly the same thing I did while you were undercover and what got us in trouble in the first place." She got up from the couch and paced the room.

Sam sighed and ran a hand over his face. He didn't know what the right answer was, or even if there was a right answer. Maybe three months from now he'd come up with something better to tell the tribunal.

"We just started this thing with us and already it's built on lie after lie," she pouted, leaning against the back of the couch.

Sam got up and walked over to her, crouching down so they were eye to eye. "We might have to lie to others right now. But _I _will never lie to you, Andy. Trust me on that."

She closed her eyes as his hands framed her face. She wanted to believe it, that they'd never lie to each other. And she wanted to feel okay about lying to her friends. "I know we have to lie to them. I just hate that we have to."

"Me too. But it's either lie to them or not see you for three months. And plan B doesn't work for me." Seeing her lips curve up in a small smile, he covered his mouth with hers. When the need for air became too strong, he pulled back, but kept his face close to hers. "We'll figure it out, what to say to the tribunal. I'm not going to let either of us lose our job."

She brushed her fingertips along his cheek. "I trust you." As he pulled her into a hug, she silently finished the thought. _I trust you with my heart, my body, my life._

When he tensed a bit as she squeezed him too hard, she realized Sam had been purposely avoiding letting her see his injuries. He'd worn a t-shirt to bed every night, and changed in the bathroom or at least with his back to her if they were in the same room. "Sam, we should change your bandages. You haven't let me see them, really look at your injuries, in days. I want to make sure they're healing, that we don't need to take you to a doctor here." With the way he was hiding his bruises from her, she was worried something was wrong.

"I'm fine. I'll change everything when I take a shower tomorrow." When Andy continued to stare at him, he knew he wasn't getting out of this. "Okay, bandages are in the bathroom." While Andy went to get the supplies, Sam stripped down to his boxers and sat on the edge of the bed. When she returned, she couldn't help but grin as he sat practically naked in front of her. She let her eyes slowly travel over his toned chest and abs, the trail of hair that led down to the waistband of his boxes, his strong arms that he held her with. Her eyes finally met his and a blush crept over her face as she realized he'd been watching her stare at him.

She quickly sat next to him cross-legged, dumping the supplies in a pile next to her. Sam leaned back on his good hand and Andy slowly removed the white cotton padding on his torso. It had long since transformed from red to a large ugly blue bruise. Her fingers lightly traced over the temporary mark, which caused a shiver to travel down Sam's spine. She took a warm wash cloth and rubbed it gently over the bruise, looking up at him to make sure she wasn't causing him any pain. She dried it with as much tenderness and picked up the ointment the doctor had given him before leaving Toronto. "This is going to be cold," she said, after placing some of it on her hand. Sam nodded, but jumped slightly when her hand came into contact with his skin. "Sorry," she mumbled, but he only smiled. When she was done, she pulled a few cotton pads out of a bag and situated them over his bruise, holding them in place as she taped them down.

She was silent as she picked up his hand that was covered in a brace. He hadn't let her see his wrist at all, but she was determined. "Andy, what are you doing?"

Her eyes met his as she held his wrist gently. "You promised you'd let me see and you haven't. And I researched it; this ointment will help your wrist heal quicker." She decided not to mention the research included her going to see Monica and asking how to take care of his injuries. She knew as soon as she said it was for Sam, Monica would be discreet and not tell anyone. Andy slowly and gently undid the straps holding the brace on his arm. Moving at a snail's pace in fear of causing him pain, she opened the brace and laid it next to them on the bed. His wrist wasn't as bruised as she expected it to be, but she also knew this injury was mostly underneath the skin. She carefully massaged his wrist and fingers as she was taught, before squeezing some ointment on her palm. She continued to massage his wrist and hand with the ointment. When she was finished, she replaced the brace, making sure it was secured and protecting his wrist and hand.

"How'd you know what to do?" he finally asked as she squeezed more ointment on her hands.

"I gave someone a list of your injuries and asked how best to treat them at home." She glanced up at him before her eyes traveled to the bruise on the outside of his thigh. All she had to do was rub lotion on it, but its location high on his leg was making her blush despite the fact they'd already been intimate. She was carefully rubbing her hands over the bruise, but heard Sam's breath hitch as she accidentally hit the edge of his boxes.

"Andy..." he warned with gritted teeth.

"Sorry," she said and stopped rubbing the ointment in. "How's the cut on your head?"

"It's fine, pretty much healed I think. Could probably use a kiss to make it all better," he said, smirking. Andy rolled her eyes, but got on her knees so she could place a kiss near his temple. He took the opportunity of her being slightly off balance to grab her around the waist and tug her onto his lap.

"Sam!" she squealed. "I'm gonna hurt you."

"I'm not glass, Andy. My injuries are healing just fine." The fingers peeking out from his braced hand delicately tucked a stray hair behind her ear as he stared into her eyes. When she didn't move, he leaned in and nuzzled her nose with his before pressing his lips to hers.

"Are you sure?" she mumbled against his lips.

"Mmmhmm."

Andy shifted so she was straddling Sam and framed his face with her hands before her lips found his again. His hands found the hem of her shirt, his fingers grazing against the skin at the small of her back. Deciding she had far too many clothes on, he pulled her shirt over her head, forcing their lips to part briefly, and tossed it to the floor. Sam scooted further back on the bed, tugging Andy along with him, but she lost her balanced and landed on his chest. "Oh god, are you okay?" She pushed herself up off of him quickly and looked at the white cotton padding she'd just replaced.

"Didn't know you thought I was a god." He smirked as he nudged her chin so she would look him in the eye. When she saw the look on his face, she rolled eyes. She leaned down, her hair cascading down around both their faces, and kissed him passionately.

* * *

Andy blinked a few times, squinted, then shielded her eyes from the bright sunlight coming through the window. "We forgot to shut the blinds," she mumbled, knowing Sam was already awake. She hadn't even looked over at him, but she just had this sixth sense about him and knew he was staring at her.

"We were a little preoccupied," he teased, rolling on his side to face her. She mimicked his position, facing him and finally prying open her eyes. "Good morning." He leaned in to kiss her.

"Morning," she said sleepily as she pulled the comforter tighter around her. She saw his hand lying on the pillow in front of her and grasped it in her own hand, lacing their fingers together. "I'm sorry if I've been too careful, treating you like you're fragile."

"I get it. But as you can see, you aren't going to break me."

"Good to know." She pressed her smiling lips to his.

"So, what do you want to do today?" he asked when they parted. Andy bit her bottom lip to stop from grinning and Sam knew he was in for it. "McNally."

"I wanna go shopping." He looked at her incredulously. "Come on, I need to get souvenirs to bring back to everyone otherwise no one will believe my story."

"What does a person buy in Temagami?" he asked.

"Tchotchkes, camping gear, sleeping bags. I hear there's a lot of great stuff in fleece." She shrugged her shoulders and pouted a little, knowing he couldn't resist her.

"Fine. Do you know where you want to go?"

A smile erupted on her face and she gave him a wet, sloppy kiss. "There are a bunch of stores in the center of town." She sat up, looking around for where her clothes ended up the night before, but Sam wasn't letting her go. Rolling onto his back, he pulled her toward him until she was lying on top of him.

"Not so fast." He silenced her giggle with his lips and wrapped his arms around her so she was pressed up against him. "What do I get in return?" he mumbled against her lips.

Andy pulled her head back and Sam saw a mischievous grin. "I _may_ have gone shopping before our little trip and picked up something lavender and lacey. You might just get to see it if you're good."

His armed tightened around her, with one hand venturing very close to a spot he knew was ticklish. "Might?"

"Sam..." Her eyes widened and she squirmed as his fingers brushed against the ticklish spot on her side. Before she could say anything else, he rolled them over and began unrelentingly tickling her. "Sam!" she squealed.

"Wanna rethink that McNally?"

"Okay! Okay! You _will_ see it, you will! Sam, stop! Saaaam!"

"Better." He kissed her and released her from his hands.


	3. Chapter 3

Thank you, thank you, thank you all for reading! :) I debated changing the rating to M with this chapter, but ended up leaving it as is. With that said, it might be pushing the boundary at the end of the chapter, but I still think it's T…so I guess that's just my little warning. And don't forget to leave a review – they absolutely make my day! :)

Disclaimer: I don't own Rookie Blue.

* * *

**Chapter 3**

They were a couple of hours into Andy's shopping trip when Sam pulled his ringing phone out of his pocket and saw Oliver's name on the caller ID. "Hi Oliver."

"Sammy, how's the life of relaxation treating you?" his friend asked cheerfully.

"Just peachy." Sam knew Oliver wasn't calling just for a friendly check-in.

"I hear it's been raining a lot in Vancouver."

Crap, he had no idea what the weather was like in the city he was supposed to be in. He should've known Oliver would bring it up to try and catch him in a lie. "I've been sleeping a lot. The weather doesn't mean much to me right now. Maybe once I'm up and exploring." He pinched the bridge of his nose, hoping his friend bought that.

"Yeah, yeah. So, uh, I heard McNally fled Toronto. She say anything to you?" Oliver asked.

"Haven't heard a thing. You know her and I aren't supposed to be talking Ollie."

"Brother, _I _know that. Just wanted to make sure _you_ remembered that too. We need you both back on the job."

At that moment, Andy rounded the corner about to ask what was taking so long when Sam silenced her with a finger to his lips. He quickly mouthed 'Oliver' to her when she gave him a confused look. She quietly sat down on the bench across from where he stood.

"It's why I got out of the city," Sam told Oliver. He wasn't lying. The order to stay away from Andy _was_ why he left Toronto. He didn't have to mention to Oliver he left so he could hide away _with_ her.

"Okay, well, how you feeling, brother?" Oliver asked, wondering how his friend was doing after the torture he was put through by Jamie Brennan.

"The bruises are healing fine."

"Alright then. Well, keep in touch and let me know when you get back to the city," Oliver said.

"I will. Tell everyone I said hi." He thought for a moment and realized not asking about Andy would probably seem suspicious. "And maybe, if you can, tell her I'm thinking about her."

Oliver chuckled. "I'll pass the message along."

Sam put his phone in his pocket and saw Andy smiling. "What?"

"You're thinking about me?"

"I am." He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her against him. "But I also thought it would make Oliver less likely to get suspicious about us being together."

"Good idea." She looked at his empty hands. "No smoothie?"

"Oliver called before I could get there. C'mon, we'll get it now." They made their way to the ice cream shop a couple of doors down and he ordered a smoothie for them to share. He passed the icy drink over to her as he handed money over to the cashier.

"Mmm, so good. Thank you, Sam." After taking a sip, she passed it back so he could try it.

* * *

_Back in Toronto_

Oliver put his phone back in the pocket of his uniform.

"So? Is he with her?" Jerry asked, as the two of them, along with Traci, huddled around a desk in the detective's office.

Oliver shrugged. "I would've bet my paycheck that he would have sought her out, but I don't think they're together. He even asked me to pass a message along to her."

"What was the message?" Traci asked.

"That he was thinking of her," he responded.

"That's it?"

"For Sammy, the fact he's thinking about her enough to say it is a lot," Jerry said before looking back at Oliver. "You really think he's sticking to the rules?"

"Hard to believe when it comes to McNally, but yeah," Oliver replied.

As the two friends continued talking, Traci pulled out her phone and began tapping away.

* * *

Andy's phone beeped and she pulled it out of her pocket to read the new text message. She looked over at Sam and smiled. "What?" he asked when she didn't say anything.

"Traci just passed along the message you gave Oliver." She took a sip of the smoothie.

"They must be together," he said.

"Trying to figure out if we're together."

"Yup," he said popping the 'p.' "Don't think about it. What else do you want to shop for?"

"I still need to get something for Leo and something other than that fleece for my dad." She looked at the store they were stopped in front of. It was another typical touristy store, but looked to have more variety than the others they'd been in. "Let's try in here."

He held the door open for her and took the smoothie and shopping bags she reached out to him, so she could have both hands free to shop. She smiled and leaned up on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek. "Thank you, you know, for shopping with me."

He shook his head and followed her in. This girl. He'd pretty much do anything for her, especially if it meant spending time with her.

After shopping for a few minutes, Andy pulled an oar out of a barrel filled with a dozen of them. "Tell me you're not going to buy that," Sam said, walking up behind her.

"Why? It's...unique."

"It's an oar."

"It'll look great as a wall decoration and I'll always remember Temagami when I look at it." Making the decision to purchase it, she continued walking through the rest of the store.

When Andy was finally done shopping, they walked down Main Street and Sam saw the Temagami tourism office. "You should be able to get the brochures you're looking for in there," he said, pointing to the small office.

They walked in and found a plump gray-haired lady sitting behind a desk. "Good afternoon. My name's Mary. Is there anything I can help you with today?"

"I'm looking for some information on hiking trails and where we might be able to rent a canoe," Andy said, walking up to the desk.

"Oh, that's easy enough dear. See that wall of brochures," she said, pointing to the side wall. "There are some companies that organize group outings and tours, but there's also some general information if you want to try it on your own. Have you ever been to our lovely town before?"

Andy walked over and started to sift through the brochures before Mary was even finished talking. She turned back toward her to answer her question. "With my dad when I was younger, but I'm not too familiar with the area. And my, uh, my...Sam here, is a city boy." She stuttered as she was about to say 'boyfriend.' They hadn't talked about what they were, hadn't given what they were a name. She refused to look over at Sam's reaction and continued picking through the various brochures.

She was just about to turn away from the wall of brochures when one caught her eye. She plucked one out of its holder and bit her bottom lip. It was something she'd never thought about doing before, but maybe it would help signify the start of their new life before they got back to Toronto. She tossed it in the bag she held with all the other brochures she'd taken, and decided it was something worth seriously considering. She smiled at Sam, indicating she was done and they headed toward the door. "Thanks for your help, Mary."

"Anytime dear. If you need anything else, we're here to help. Enjoy your time in our lovely town."

"She was sweet," Andy said when they were outside.

"Yes she was. Get everything you need?"

"Yup. All we need to know about the hiking trails and canoe routes," she replied.

"Great. Why don't we put the bags in the car and stop by that small restaurant we spotted on the way in," he suggested.

"Sounds good to me."

As they headed to the restaurant after stopping at the car, they passed by an electronics store with televisions airing some football game. Further into the store, she could see several men standing there, probably waiting for their wives or girlfriends to finish shopping. Andy stopped suddenly, the image a reminder of a memory she had tried to forget. She was instantly transported back into Jamie Brennan's car when he asked why J.D. wasn't going shopping with her. Feeling the emptiness beside him, Sam stopped and turned around. "Hey, everything okay?" he asked. "Andy?"

"Huh?" She shook her head, trying to erase the memory. "Let's go," she said, walking past him.

He didn't immediately question why all color had drained from her face. He let them get seated at their table at the restaurant, watched and listened as Andy started chatting incessantly, as she did when she was nervous or trying to cover something up. He waited and watched, trying to figure out what about an electronics store would freak her out. By the time they finished their appetizer, Sam decided he'd waited long enough. "What happened back there?"

Andy's head popped up, wide eyes looking at him. "What do you mean?"

"In front of the electronics store. I lost you for a bit. You were in another world."

"Oh, uh, nothing, I'm fine," she replied, eyes glued to her glass of soda as it was the most interesting thing in the world.

"McNally, you weren't fine." He wasn't going to let her leave this table until she told him what was wrong.

She swallowed thickly before her eyes returned to his. She saw him pleading with her and she knew she had to be honest with him. "There were guys watching football..." She trailed off and hesitated, not knowing how to explain.

"And that's caused you to go white as a sheet?" he questioned.

"No. Yes." She took a deep breath. "It's what it reminded me of." Sam kept his eyes on her, waiting patiently for her to continue. Something had obviously rattled her and he realized it wasn't easy for her to explain.

"When I left your apartment, well J.D's apartment, and Brennan picked me up...I told him I was going shopping. He questioned why you weren't with me. Something came out of my mouth about not wanting a guy hanging around while you tried on clothes, and they'd disappear to the nearest TV to watch football. It's stupid. I don't know why walking past that store made me think about it."

"It's not stupid. There are always going to be things that remind you, remind both of us, about Brennan and what happened." He reached across the table to take her hand in his. "But, no matter what happened, we're both okay. And you coming up with a great cover story is probably why he let you go. And allowed you to find me. Remember that."

"Yeah, he let me go and then went back to torture you," she said, annoyed with herself. She still thought she should have done more.

"Andy, stop. The moment I mentioned God's Good Grace, Brennan planned to torture me. The only thing you did was save yourself from what would likely have been the same fate if he had made you too." Sam stopped speaking as the waiter brought out their main dishes.

"Can I get you anything else right now?" the waiter asked.

"No, we're all set," Sam replied, wanting him to leave them alone. The waiter smiled and walked away, and Sam swallowed thickly, finding himself having a hard time saying what he felt he needed to tell her. "When I was sitting in that farmhouse tied up, you know what kept me holding on to hope? You. I told myself to believe Brennan when he said he dropped you off. I had to. Because I couldn't imagine him doing to you what he was doing to me, or worse."

"Sam..."

"So, whatever you had to say to protect yourself, don't ever second guess that. And if we need to avoid electronics stores for a while, just say the word," he said, smiling. Seeing his dimples peeking out, Andy couldn't help but smile. She felt like she should be comforting him, but he always knew the right thing to say, always knew how to make her feel better.

Not wanting to ruin dinner, she started to talk about anything else she could think of, starting with funny stories from the academy about her, Traci, Chris, Dov and Gail. Sam was clearly entertained and mentally filed away some of the dirt he knew he could use against the former rookies when he wanted to get out of doing paperwork.

By the time they were done with dessert, they'd forgotten all about Andy's encounter with the electronics store. Deciding they probably needed to restock the fridge back at the cottage, they made a pit stop at the grocery store on the way back. They walked through the store aisle by aisle, picking up a variety of dinner items and snacks.

"Oh, we should get some ice cream. What flavor?" she asked.

"Pistachio." It was his way of telling her what he said undercover wasn't a story he created for the part. She turned around to face him, narrowing her eyes trying to decide if he was serious. Without saying a word, she grabbed a pint of pistachio and a pint of chocolate, and placed them in their cart.

"Pistachio, huh?" she asked, trying to play it off like she was teasing him, but she really wanted to know more about the truth of the prison story he'd told as J.D.

"Yup," he replied, popping the 'p.' "Favorite since I was a kid." He started pushing the cart down the aisle, leaving Andy to wonder about his childhood.

* * *

When they returned to the cottage, Sam put the groceries away while Andy reorganized her purchases and stored them out of the way. Wanting to take advantage of the beautiful night, she rummaged through the closet trying to find the extra blanket she knew was hidden somewhere. Finally finding it, she walked toward the door, grabbing Sam's hand along the way. Not sure what she was doing, he decided to follow, and watched as she laid the blanket out on the grass in front of the cottage.

He watched her curiously as she laid down on the blanket and looked over at him. "Come here," she said, patting the blanket next to her.

"Uh, Andy, what are you doing?" Despite his question, he sat down next to her.

"Looking at the stars," she said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. She tugged on the back of his shirt, causing him to turn around so he could see her face. "Lie down." He did as he was told and Andy scooted closer so their arms were touching. "My dad and I used to do this when we went camping."

Looking up at the sky, he had to admit the stars were beautiful, so much brighter than in the city, but he'd never just laid out and stared at them.

"We'd make up our own constellations. Sometimes it would be a dog or other animal, or a random object. Like that!" She pointed to the sky, but Sam had no idea what she was looking at. "See the umbrella right there?"

"Umbrella?" He was still trying to figure out how she connected the dots into images.

"Okay, see that really bright star," she said, pointing again. "To the left of it. There are a bunch of stars that look like a pole and then below it is the upside down umbrella."

"I see it." After his eyes adjusted to the darkness, it got easier to connect the dots.

Andy continued to silently scan the sky, connecting the dots to form various objects. Having left her jacket inside, she shivered when a cold breeze came by. Sam reached his arm out and Andy shifted so he could wrap his arm around her shoulders and she wedged herself closer to the warmth of his body.

"Look! A shooting star." Sam followed her finger and caught it with his own eyes just before it disappeared.

"Wow. I've never seen one before."

"What!?"

"I'm a city boy, remember? Haven't spent a lot of time out here looking at the stars."

She curled into him, absentmindedly tracing patterns on his chest while she looked up at the sky. She wondered how tough his childhood had been. There was always a sense of sadness that came through his voice when talking about it. She wanted to ask about it, find out more about Sarah, his parents, if his dad really was in prison. But she wanted him to talk about it in his own time, in his own way, so she didn't push. Instead she pointed out some of the stars she remembered and started drawing shapes with the stars.

"I've got one," Sam said, happily surprising her that he was playing along. "There's a gun. Just to the left of your cat."

"Of course, you'd find a gun in the stars."

He loved the feeling of her laugh against him. "Hey, you didn't say it had to be all flowers and kittens."

She looked up at him and smiled. She was so relaxed and so happy. She couldn't imagine being anywhere else but here with him, even if they were seriously violating the rules. She leaned up so she could press her lips to his.

"What was that for?" He never minded her kissing him, but there was a look in her eyes that he couldn't quite read, and he could usually tell what she was thinking through her eyes.

"I'm just happy." Sam pulled her closer, his warm fingers touching her cooled skin as her shirt shifted.

A howling in the woods made Sam's senses go on alert and Andy giggled as she felt his body tense up. "What was that? A wolf? A bear?" His eyes started scanning around as he sat up quickly.

"It's a loon."

"A what?"

Andy pressed her lips together to stop herself from hysterically laughing. "It's a bird, Sam."

"You sure? That sounded like a wolf to me."

"I went camping every summer as a kid. It's a loon." She rubbed a hand up and down his back, hoping to calm him down.

"Well, it's getting late, we should probably go back inside." He stood up and held out a hand for Andy.

She stood up, smiling as she folded up the blanket. "Big bad Sam Swarek is afraid of a bird."

"No. I am _not_ afraid of a bird." Andy looked at him in disbelief. "That howl is _not_ coming from some little bird, and whatever it is, it's not going to have us for dinner."

Andy followed him back into the cottage, tossing the blanket on the couch. "It's okay, everyone's afraid of something. For you, it's the loon." Not able to hold it back anymore, she doubled over in laughter. Sam shook his head. He was never going to live this down.

* * *

The following week brought several days of rainy weather, which kept Sam and Andy indoors. They rented a few movies and found some games in the cottage. Andy was currently beating Sam at backgammon. "Ha!" she said as she was one step closer to winning.

"A little competitive, are we?"

"You're just realizing this?" she responded, quirking her eyebrows.

"Should've known it the moment you were determined to win at tackling me." He smirked and she stuck her tongue out in response.

A sudden crack of thunder coupled immediately with a bolt of lightning had Andy jumping.

"Thought you enjoyed storms," he commented, not taking his eyes off the game.

"It's the lightning. Freaks me out when it seems so close. When it's so dark and illuminates everything, I feel like it's surrounding me." The words had barely come out of her mouth when another bolt lit up the room.

A few moves later, Andy had won the game despite being preoccupied with the lightning show. As she was putting the game away, another flash of lightning was quickly followed by a loud crack and the lights in the cottage flickered. Andy curled up on the couch, her arms hugging her knees against her chest. "I hate lightning, like seriously, hate it more than anything."

Sam walked around the room, closing all the blinds to keep out most of the flashes and threw some new logs on the weakening fire in the fireplace. He leaned over the back of the couch so his face was inches from hers. "Want some ice cream?" Andy nodded her head and Sam kissed her before walking to the freezer. Andy was perplexed how a simple question about dessert could somehow steady her, remove the anxiousness she was feeling because of the storm. It occurred to her it wasn't so much the question being asked, but who was asking it. His casual movements, the way he didn't pick on her - because god, it was only freaking lightning and she shouldn't be such a wimp. He could calm her with a simple word, a simple touch. He made everything alright.

She smiled when he held a big bowl of chocolate ice cream in front of her. "Thanks."

"You okay?" he asked, sitting down next to her.

"Yeah," she said, nodding her head. She leaned against him as she stuck a spoonful of ice cream in her mouth. "Thanks."

Halfway through her own bowl, she looked over into his nearly empty bowl of green ice cream. "How can you eat that? No one likes pistachio."

"I told you why I like it."

"No, J.D. told me _his_ favorite ice cream was pistachio." She gave him a pointed look and he knew what she was getting at.

"My dad went to prison when I was a baby and it was the first time I met him." He placed his empty bowl on the coffee table and leaned back into the couch, tapping his fingers awkwardly on his thighs. "I don't know why they had pistachio ice cream - and at that age I couldn't even pronounce the flavor, let alone know what it was - but my dad had a pint of it and two spoons. And it was like truth serum, I started talking to him like it wasn't the first day we'd met."

"Sam..." She placed her hand over his and put her bowl on the table next to his. Her eyes searched his face, but she couldn't figure out if he was happy or sad at the memory. She couldn't read what he was feeling, so she stayed silent, hoping he would continue.

"When Sarah and I were tossed from foster home to foster home, all I wanted was to be back there, sitting with my dad eating pistachio ice cream." He shrugged his shoulders like it was no big deal, but Andy saw a different emotion in his eyes. She could tell it was hard for him to talk about his childhood, and between what he had just told her and what she knew about what happened to Sarah, she could understand why.

"Maybe I'll try it sometime. I mean, it's green, and that's a fun color, so it's gotta taste okay." She rested her head on his shoulder and hoped she'd lightened the mood and removed some of the sadness from his eyes. Sam squeezed her hand in silent thanks, knowing if tried to speak his voice would probably crack. After sitting like that for several minutes, Andy shifted so she was sitting cross-legged facing Sam. She reached up, resting her hand on his neck and rubbed her thumb against his jaw. "I'm glad you told me." Before he could respond, she pressed her lips against his.

* * *

The next day after, spending some time at the lake after the storm clouds disappeared, Andy decided she wanted to make a romantic dinner for Sam. He'd been doing most of the cooking, even when she tried to help, and tonight she wanted to do something for him.

As she pulled the ingredients she needed from the refrigerator and cabinets, Sam hovered near her. "Sam," she said, shooing him away with her hand. "Go find a hockey game on TV or football or something."

"Just making sure you don't burn the place down," he teased, leaning back against the counter next to her.

"Seriously, go away. You're making me nervous. I _can_ cook you know."

Looking at the annoyed expression on her face, he held his hands up in defeat. "Okay, okay, going. Let me know if you need anything."

She watched him walk over to the couch, grabbing the TV remote from the coffee table. "I just want to do this for you, okay. If we were back in Toronto, I'd be able to invite you over and you wouldn't be here to watch me cook, and, well, you being close could make me chop off a finger or something, so, you know..." She trailed off, not sure how to finish her thought.

Sam glanced over to see a light blush come over her face. "I'll just sit over here, on the couch, keeping my distance. Wouldn't want a finger mixed in with my dinner." He smirked at her when she looked over her shoulder at him.

"Ha," she deadpanned.

She pulled out a large casserole dish and began to place the layers for her lasagna in it, some of which she had pre-cooked earlier in the day. It was something she learned at a young age to make and it had become one of her specialties over the years. About halfway through the layers of pasta, cheese and ground beef, she turned the stove on so it had time to heat up. After putting the casserole in the oven, she took frozen garlic bread out of the freezer and read the instructions. She had to wait until the lasagna was almost cooked before heating that up, so she put that aside and made small salads for her and Sam to go along with their meal.

Andy poured herself a glass of wine to sip on while she finished cooking. "Do you want a beer?" she asked, looking over her shoulder at Sam.

"Sure," he said, starting to get up, but Andy stopped him.

"No, I got it," she said smiling and opened the fridge. She walked over and sat on his lap as she handed the bottle over to him. He leaned forward to press his lips to hers and the kiss quickly deepened. She put a hand on his chest, pushing lightly. "Don't distract me. I don't want dinner to burn."

"You're the one sitting on my lap," he said, smirking and running a hand up and down her back. His hand sneaked under the hem of her sweater and rested on her lower back. She shivered as his warm hand on her skin caused heat to travel through her body. She quickly stood up, wavering slightly as her legs betrayed her.

"Make yourself useful," she said playfully. "And start a fire." When she got back to the kitchen, she swallowed a huge gulp of wine, hoping it would cool her internal body temperature, which was still hot from Sam's touch.

She set the table as nice as she could with the limited options for plates and utensils before grabbing a small shopping bag she'd put under the kitchen sink. She pulled several chunky candles from the bag and placed two on the kitchen table, before walking over and placing one on each nightstand beside the bed. Grabbing a book of matches, she lit all the candles and breathed in the vanilla scent they immediately threw off.

She continued preparing their meal, every so often feeling Sam's eyes locked on her, like he couldn't pull his gaze away. When everything was ready, she started to dish the lasagna onto their plates. "Dinner's ready, Sam."

He walked over and placed a kiss on her shoulder as she laid the plates on the table. "It looks and smells delicious," he said.

* * *

After the dishes were cleaned and leftovers were put away, Andy tossed a couple of pillows on the floor and sat down on the plush rug in front of the fireplace. Leaning back on one arm, she sipped some of her wine and smiled at Sam. Sam joined her a moment later, sitting facing her with his legs stretched out alongside her. He rolled the ice cold beer bottle he held against her bare ankle. "Hey!" She lightly kicked his thigh in retaliation. "That's cold."

"I know." He flashed his dimples in a mischievous grin.

Deciding to lay down, she swung her legs around so they rested on top of Sam's and her head found one of the pillows she tossed in front of the fireplace. Still holding the glass of wine in her hand, the red liquid sloshed around nearly splashing over the side. Wine already having gone to her head, she didn't notice the near spill as she settled herself comfortably.

"Why are we on the floor?" he asked, fingers brushing over her denim-clad knee.

"Because," she said, as if it were the most obvious thing.

"Would you like to translate this alcohol-induced McNally speak for me?" He grinned before chuckling when she glared at him.

"I. Am. Not. Drunk." She stared at him, waiting. When he didn't respond, she rolled her eyes. "Oh my god, Sam, come here." She reached over to tug at his arm.

He knew why she'd been staring at him, but was having fun playing with her while she still had a buzz from the wine at dinner. Placing the beer he was holding where it likely wouldn't get knocked over, he laid down, eyes matching Andy's and staring up at the ceiling. He couldn't help but notice the romantic setting Andy had made with the candles and fireplace, but decided to push her buttons. "Okay, what now?"

Andy blew out a breath and rolled onto her side to face him. "Really? You really don't even know - "

Sam realized he'd gone a bit too far and succeeded in pissing her off, so he interrupted her as he rolled over to face her. "Andy..." He placed two fingers on her lips to silence her. "Tonight has been wonderful so far."

When she saw the soft smile on his face, she rolled her eyes again and her own lips curved into a smile. "Jerk."

Sam traced Andy's face with his eyes. The dancing flames from the fire casting an orange glow over her smooth skin. Her bangs slightly covering the tops of her eyes, making her look young and innocent. Her brown eyes had become even darker as they gazed into his. He cupped the back of her neck to draw her closer and pressed his lips to hers. She slid her hand around his waist and under his shirt so she could press her palm against his muscles. He deepened the kiss as he moved his hand to her jaw, rubbing his callous thumb against her cheek.

The lack of oxygen combined with alcohol was making Andy's head spin and she forced herself to pull back slightly. Sam's eyes popped open, but closed again when he saw her panting heavily. She could feel his smile against her jaw as he began to place kisses there, and she tilted her head to give him more access when his lips moved to her neck. Biting gently on her skin where her neck and shoulder met, the spot he knew made her weak, he heard a moan escape her lips.

Sam rolled them over so Andy was under him and continued placing kisses along her neck and jaw. "Sam..." It came out as a sigh, and he brought his lips close to hers, nuzzling her nose with his for a moment. She lifted her head slightly so her lips could find his. Her hands found the hem of his shirt and began pushing it up, until he got the hint and one-handedly pulled the shirt over his head, tossing it off to the side. She ran her hands up and down his bare chest and found it comforting his heart was beating as fast as hers.

He stopped and stared and at her. He couldn't help it. She was just so beautiful. A mix of playful and sensual. It was then that he noticed her face was a lot flusher than normal. And normal, that's an interesting concept considering he wasn't even sure they'd had time to form a normal between them yet. But still, her face was crimson. "Andy...you okay?" She nodded, but he stared into her eyes waiting for the truth.

"I'm _really_ hot," she said reluctantly, not wanting to break the mood. "Maybe it's the alcohol or the fire or something, but I'm like ridiculously warm." The words came out fast and, if possible, Sam saw her face become even redder as she blushed and looked down at her fingers resting against his chest.

Sam chuckled as he looked at what she was wearing. "You realize this sweater is like the warmest thing you own, right?"

She glanced down at herself and laughter escaped her mouth. "But it's my brand new fleece we bought in town. I couldn't wait to wear it."

He leaned down and kissed her on the nose. "This is easily fixable, you know." A smirk crossed over his face and Andy slowly raised her arms above her head understanding what he was getting at. He grabbed the hem of her sweater and slowly lifted it over her head revealing a blue lace bra.

She framed Sam's face with her hands and pulled him back down to her. "Much better," she mumbled into his lips. He slid his palm down the side of her face and neck, over her collarbone, between her breasts and over her stomach, letting it lie gently on her waist. She shivered under his touch, even though heat was still radiating off of her.

The hand on her waist slid down to her thigh, nudging her to wrap her leg around him. He was pressed right up against her as his hands roamed her body and his mouth abandoned her lips once again to kiss and suck along her jaw and neck. When he hit _the_ spot on her neck again, she involuntarily thrust against him causing a chuckle to escape Sam's lips. When he gently sucked the spot again, Andy wasn't sure she could take much more and used all her strength to flip them over.

She alternated between kissing and sucking on the soft skin along his collarbone and neck, before finally crushing her mouth against his. As they passionately kissed, Andy slid her hands down his body and her fingers began to make quick work of the buttons on his jeans.

* * *

Andy laid on top of Sam breathing heavily, while one of his arms held her securely to him around the waist and the other hand drew shapes on her back. Clothes were strewn all over the floor and the blanket usually lying on the back of the couch was haphazardly thrown over them. Exhausted, she buried her face in his neck and kissed him. They'd had some great sex in the short time they'd been together, going back to the amazing first night in J.D.'s apartment, but Andy decided tonight definitely was on another level. She didn't know why. Maybe they were finally relaxed enough about running away. Maybe they found their normal. Maybe…maybe… Maybe she just didn't care, but wanted to do it over and over again.

"The fire's almost out." She shivered, finally feeling the chill in the air as the flames weakened and her body temperature started to return to normal.

Not ready to leave his position to stir up the fire, Sam adjusted the blanket over them, trying to cover her exposed skin. "Better?"

She lifted her head so she could press her lips to his. "Mmmhmm."

She played with the hair on his chest as she stared at him - his mouth, that had done such amazing things to her earlier; his eyes, that were so deep and dark and could look far into her soul. He was perfect. She felt this sudden tug of her heart and realized she loved him. There was no doubt in her mind, but she was scared to say those words. Nervous how he'd react, nervous about getting hurt again. And she wasn't really ready to say it so early in their relationship, even though she knew she felt it.

"What's on that mind of yours?" he asked, tapping her head lightly with his finger.

"You make a great pillow. Very comfy."

"Think you're funny, don't you?" Without warning, he rolled them over and ground his hips into hers, pressing her against the floor. The giggle that started to leave her mouth as he flipped them ended as a moan. Andy pressed her hands against his back, bringing him impossibly closer to her.

The embers on the fire were ice cold by the time they eventually pulled themselves off the floor and moved to the bed.


	4. Chapter 4

This is the last chapter of this story. Thank you so much to everyone for reading, reviewing, favoriting and following this story. :) I hope you enjoy this part as much as the previous chapters. Please leave a review and let me know what you think – seeing new reviews in my email makes me super happy! And again, thank you to svugirl25 for giving me this story idea. :)

Disclaimer: I don't own Rookie Blue.

* * *

**Chapter 4**

A little over a month after they arrived, Andy decided Sam's injuries had healed enough for them to participate in more rigorous outdoor activities. From the many brochures she'd picked up, Andy chose a place that rented canoes along a calm river not far from their cottage. Upon arriving, they were informed of the rules and told about the picnic facilities at the checkpoint down the river.

Sam looked suspiciously at the canoe Andy was stepping into. "You know what you're doing right?"

She rolled her eyes. "Just get in." She reached out to take the backpack - filled with a picnic lunch and other items - Sam held, to make it easier for him to climb in. "Stop being a baby."

"I may not know a lot about canoeing, but I still know how to toss someone overboard," he quipped.

"Oh, and then how would you get back to shore?" She cocked an eyebrow, challenging him. When he was silent, she gave him a smug look as she rowed them down the river.

"You do know where you're going right?"

"I was paying attention to the guide _and_ they gave us a map. Plus, we just follow the river until we see the checkpoint. It's not that far," she replied.

They were about halfway to the checkpoint when Andy decided she needed to get something off her chest, something she'd been worried about pretty much since the day they arrived in Temagami. "What's gonna happen when we get back to Toronto?" she asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, everyone's going to expect us to act a certain way, thinking we haven't seen each other in three months. How do we pretend this time hasn't happened?" she asked, eyes focused on the oars she was pushing through the water.

"You overthink things, Andy. I don't worry about what I can't control. We can't pretend these three months haven't happened, but we can be careful. Worst case, Frank finds out we broke the rules," he said, wondering why she was so concerned all of a sudden.

"How can you say that so nonchalantly?" she questioned.

"It's just me, Andy. The way I deal with things," he replied.

"You think we're too different, don't you?" She stopped rowing and the canoe began to drift slowly.

"What?"

"You don't think we're gonna last." She refused to look at him, afraid of his response.

"Yes, we're different, so we'll deal with it," he said, calmly.

She slowly brought her eyes up to meet his. "Is that what you really think?"

He decided he had to be honest. As happy as he was with Andy, there was a small fear continuing to nag at him. "I think you were ready to marry someone else four months ago."

"Sam, c'mon, you gotta know, I mean, you and me, it's not the same." Her eyes pleaded with him to understand that it had always been him.

"Okay, so what's the rush?"

Andy nodded in agreement. "Yeah, yeah, no rush, of course, yeah." Sam gave her the look he always gave her when he knew she wasn't giving him the full truth. He could always see right through her. "I just, um, I want to keep moving forward."

"I'm not saying we shouldn't. But let's take it slow, one day at a time. A month ago I asked you if you wanted to be normal together and you said yes - "

"I meant yes," she said, interrupting him.

"My point is, we're going to have to find our normal once we get back. And uh, Andy, about us being different. Our differences are what make us great together."

"Is that what you really think?" she asked, repeating her question from earlier.

"I think, I enjoy being with you. I enjoy being your partner. I think you feel the same." She smiled and he took that as agreement. "And we can work through anything." He grabbed hold of the oars and took his turn rowing their canoe.

"Promise me something? If things go south with us…and I don't want them to and I hope they don't. But if they do, then don't, don't just walk out the door, okay? Let's promise to work at it." She looked at him, knowing she wanted nothing more than a long life with him.

"You won't get rid of me without a fight."

When they arrived at the checkpoint, they found the small picnic area located on the beach along the river. Andy pulled out sandwiches she made that morning, along with chips and sodas.

"It's a beautiful spot here," Sam said. He might be a city boy, but he could still appreciate the serenity of where they were. "Thanks for suggesting we come to Temagami."

Andy grinned sheepishly. "It's always been special for my dad and me, and I like that it can be a special place for us now too. Our cottage hideaway."

"Do you and your dad still come up here?" Sam asked, biting into his sandwich.

"A couple years ago I took him up here for his birthday. But we don't come nearly as often as when I was a younger," she said, before taking a bite of her own sandwich.

"We should bring him up for a long weekend." He said it with such ease, Andy just stared at him. She was dumbfounded how he could so easily include her father in their life, in his life. Thinking about how amazing he was, Andy couldn't help but smile.

"He'd like that." They continued eating lunch in silence for several minutes until Andy decided this was a chance to ask something she'd wanted to for a while. He'd opened the door with his talk about her father. "When will I get to meet your family?"

"When I want to torture you," he deadpanned.

"C'mon Sam."

"There's only my sister and she doesn't get up to the city often." He saw the look on Andy's face and knew he wasn't going to get away that easy. "Look, we'll go down to visit her sometime. I promise."

Happy with that answer, Andy made a mental note to remind Sam of his promise in the not too far future.

"The realtor called this morning, while you were in the shower," Andy said, changing the subject.

"Really?"

"Yup, said since I stopped by the bank before I left, the rest of the paperwork can be done over email and the condo's mine when I get back."

"That's great, Andy."

"It'll be nice not to have to sleep on Traci's couch anymore."

"When are you going to move in?" he asked.

"Once we get back. I'll get settled before I'm back at work."

"I wish I could be there to help you," he said.

Andy gave a small nod in understanding. "Unpacking will keep me occupied, so at least I have that."

They took their time finishing lunch so they could enjoy their surroundings. Once they were ready to go, they got back in the canoe and enjoyed a leisurely trip back.

* * *

A few days later, Andy was leafing through the brochures about the best local hiking trails trying to decide where they should hike. They'd taken some of the small trails around the cottage and lake, but Andy had wanted to wait for a more strenuous hike until Sam's injuries healed.

She was stretched out on the couch when Sam joined her, lifting her legs and placing them on his lap when he sat down. "Find a trail you like?" he asked, his hand sneaking under the hem of her jeans to graze her ankle.

"I'm thinking about this one," she said waving one of the brochures. "It's a moderate trail and has several spots along the way to relax or break for lunch. I think it would be a good one for us."

"What's this?" he asked, picking up a brochure that was most definitely not about hiking.

"Oh, something I was, uh, thinking about doing."

Sam's eyebrows shot up to his hairline. "Sky diving? You want to jump out of a perfectly fine plane thousands of feet in the air?"

"I know it sounds crazy. And you totally don't have to come." She sat up, leaning toward him. "But it's something I feel like I have to do."

Sam thought about what she was saying and knew there had to be a reason behind wanting to go skydiving. "Why the sudden need to jump out of a plane?"

"I'm terrified of heights."

"And that makes you want to go skydiving?" he asked.

"No, well, yes. My instinct is to play things safe, not take a chance. It's why...it's why I made certain choices. I tried to take the safe, easy route. But I don't want that. I want excitement. I want adventure. I want a life that makes me happy." She looked Sam in the eye, making sure he understood what she was getting at, that Luke was the supposedly safe choice, while Sam was her happy choice. When she was sure he was on the same page, she continued.

"I'm terrified of heights. This," she said waving her hand between them, "terrified me. I took a chance on us, you know. And jumping out of a plane is me proving to myself that I can, no that I need to, take these chances. And look, we don't know what's going to face us back in Toronto. I need to know I won't hold myself back from anything." She pleaded with her eyes for him to understand and worried her bottom lip in anticipation of how he would respond.

"I'm not getting up in the plane with you, but I'll there when you land," he said, gently squeezing her leg. When she saw understanding in his eyes, she finally let her lips curve into a small smile. "So, about that hike..."

"Oh yeah," she said, picking up the hiking brochure she let fall to her lap. "This one is only about 15 minutes from here and I think we should pack a lunch and spend the day on the trail. We just have to make sure we're back to the base by dark."

"Well, I can't tell one trail from another, so I'm okay with whichever one you choose." He began to gently massage her calves as she leaned back against the side of the couch.

"I just want it to be a fun experience. I know you don't hike very much."

"Andy, don't worry, it'll be fun. I mean, you're gonna be there, so..." He grinned, dimples on full display, and winked at her when she looked up at him.

She picked up a brochure for a trail that claimed to be the hardest hiking trail in Temagami. "So, you'd feel the same way if I choose this one?" she asked, smirking at him.

"Very funny. Go with the first choice unless you want to be dragging my dead body down the trail."

Andy gathered the brochures and tossed them on the table, before snuggling further into the couch. Head resting back on the arm of the couch, she closed her eyes for a moment enjoying Sam's gentle touch on her legs. Sam looked over at her a few minutes later and quietly chuckled when a soft snore came from her. She looked so content, her hands resting just below her waist, her chest rising up and down in a slow rhythm. He ran his hand up and down one of her legs thinking about how he could sit there and watch her sleep forever.

* * *

Two days later, they decided it was a perfect day for a hike and when they arrived at the head of the trail Andy had picked, she took the trail map out of the backpack she carried. They hadn't even set foot on the trail yet when Andy stopped and looked over at Sam. "You're okay right? I mean, your injuries, you can do this right? Cause I don't want you to collapse on me or anything, and if you're - " Sam silenced Andy with two fingers against her lips.

"I can handle it...unless we run into any freakin' beavers with handcuffs," he deadpanned.

She looked at him with feigned annoyance, thinking back to their prisoner transport from Sudbury and how she let the guy escape. Then she asked her now infamous question when they'd found a pair of handcuffs in the woods. "You're never gonna let me live that down, are you?"

"Nope. It's what I love about you McNally. You keep me entertained."

Any quip that started forming in her head was abandoned when she realized he said the 'L' word. It wasn't those three little words, but it still made Andy pause wondering if he loved her.

"Are we gonna start this hike or just stand here all day," he teased, seeing her lost in her own thoughts.

"Uh, yeah, sure, yeah, let's go." She started walking, as Sam chuckled and followed behind her.

They'd been walking for a couple of hours, taking a slow pace so they could enjoy the beautiful scenery around them. Looking at the trail map, Andy decided there should be a rest area not far ahead and just as they rounded a bend she saw a small clearing with large rocks and stumps scattered around. It overlooked the edge of the mountain they were on and Andy decided it was the perfect stopping point.

"Let's stop for a bit," she suggested as she swung her backpack off. She sat down on one of the large rocks that acted as benches.

Sam mirrored her actions and pulled a bottle of water out of his own backpack. After take a drink he offered the bottle to Andy, and even though she had her own, she accepted it and took a swig. "Enjoying your first real hike?" she asked.

He wanted to tell her that he could enjoy anything as long as she was with him, but held those words back. "It's great. We should find someplace around Toronto where we can go," were the words that came out of his mouth instead.

Andy smiled, happy that she could share something she'd always enjoyed with Sam.

"Did you hike with your dad a lot?" he asked.

"He's more of the walk-around-the-lake kind of guy, but we'd go canoeing and fishing. My mom hated fishing, the worms and everything," she replied.

"Your mom came with you?" Sam was surprised knowing what little Andy had told him about her.

"A couple times when I was really little. But it wasn't her thing...camping, or being a mother," she said with disdain. "So, she stopped coming with us. Which was fine, my dad and I were perfectly happy without her."

Sam wasn't sure if she was talking only about the camping, but he wasn't going to pry. Having decided they'd taken a long enough break, she stood up and swung her backpack on her shoulders. Sam did the same and she grabbed his hand in hers as they continued up the trail.

"Well, she didn't know what she was missing, cause this..." he said, looking around at the beautiful wilderness before laying his eyes on Andy. "This is amazing." He gave her hand a light squeeze and she looked over at him and smiled, catching his double meaning.

They walked for about another hour, stopping every so often to take photos or just enjoy where they were, and then took a long break for lunch. By the time they began to head back down the trail, Andy realized she couldn't picture a more perfect day. Sam loved seeing her so relaxed and happy, and only hoped she'd be able to stay this way once they got back to Toronto.

Dusk was upon them as Sam and Andy neared the bottom of the trail, but movement in the woods caught her eye. She slowly turned her head, half-fearing she'd be face to face with a bear, and saw a small deer about 30 feet away. She stopped and grabbed Sam's arm, whispering, "Sam...look." He followed her gaze to the creature staring back at them.

"I've never seen a deer so close. It's...it's so beautiful," she continued, whispering. Not wanting to scare the deer away, Sam shifted only slightly so he could wrap an arm around Andy's waist.

"It's nature, up close and personal. You don't see this back in the city," he whispered in her ear.

Andy found Sam's hand around her waist and laced her fingers with his. She wanted to stand there forever, and kept her eyes glued to the beautiful animal in front of them. The deer seemed to get bored of the humans it was eyeing and turned its head around as it appeared to search for something. Moments later it disappeared in the opposite direction, finding something away from the trail more interesting.

"That was amazing," Andy said, leaning into Sam as he held her.

He kissed her temple. "Yes, it was. We should go on more hikes, see if we can catch another deer or something."

"Well, we still have more than a month here. Plenty of time for hikes," she replied.

By the time they reached the car, Andy was exhausted from the day of hiking and leaned against the car as she drank some water. Sam tossed their backpacks in the backseat and walked over to Andy, boxing her in with his arms as his hands rested on the hood.

She smiled at him. "I had fun today."

"Me too." He leaned in slowly and deliberately, pressing his lips to hers.

* * *

It was a week before they had to leave Temagami and after chickening out once, Andy decided she wasn't going to let that happen again. It was now or never. She was going skydiving today.

She rolled onto her side, mirroring Sam's position, and worried her bottom him as he stared at her. "My appointment at the Temagami Skydiving Club is in a couple hours," she said hesitantly.

"You don't have to go," he said, trying to give her an easy out if she wanted one.

"I have to do this, Sam. For me, I have to do this for me."

"Then I guess I should make us some breakfast," he said, getting out of bed and putting his boxers on. He saw Andy reluctantly roll over as she started to get up. "Stay. I'll bring breakfast to you."

A big toothy grin took over her face as she pulled the sheets tight around her. "Breakfast in bed? I knew there was a reason I choose you over J.D.," she teased.

"Funny." He leaned back over the bed to press a kiss to her lips.

"You're sweet."

"Just don't let it get out."

Andy appreciated her view as she watched Sam start the coffee, and pull out eggs and bacon to start cooking. She leaned over the edge of the bed to retrieve her tank top that had been discarded the night before and settled back against the headboard as she continued to watch Sam. When breakfast was almost ready, he carried two mugs of coffee over to the bed, setting one on the night table on his side of the bed, while passing the other to Andy. She inhaled its scent, wondering how anyone could start their morning without this burst of caffeine, and took a sip.

Sam placed the bacon, scrambled eggs and toast on a large plate and grabbed two forks before re-joining Andy in bed. "Mmmm, it smells great," she said. Taking one of the forks he held out, she dug right in. "And tastes great too."

Sam took a bite of toast, almost choking on it when Andy spoke again. "I bet you do this to charm all the ladies," she teased.

Not expecting that, he coughed and had to take a sip of coffee to recover. "Um, Andy..."

"Oh god, seriously, that was stupid. Forget it." Embarrassed at her own comment, a blush swam over her face and she quickly stuffed a piece of bacon in her mouth to prevent her from saying anything else.

"There haven't been many," he said when he regained his voice. He was being honest with her. Being a cop and doing all the undercover work he did, it had been a while since he found himself in a serious relationship.

"Oh." She wasn't sure how to take that and stuffed a forkful of eggs into her mouth to prevent her from making any more embarrassing comments.

"You can ask me anything," he offered.

"Okay," she said sheepishly. "Why not?"

It took him a moment to realize what she was asking. "Well, for one, this job makes it difficult. And, going undercover as much as I did, it never seemed fair to start anything serious."

"And now?"

"I think I've had enough deep cover work for a while. And I think I have a reason to stay." He looked over at her, trying to gauge her reaction.

"Good, cause I wouldn't want to have to race you down and tackle you again," she said, smirking.

"You have permission to tackle me whenever you want," he replied, which had Andy giggling.

* * *

Sam sat in the back of the room, watching her watch the training videos the skydiving instructor was showing to Andy and five others who were skydiving along with her that day. After the video, the instructor spoke about safety before taking everyone outside. Sam stayed on the outskirts, just watching Andy take it all in and learn about the equipment that would keep her from crashing to the ground. The thought of that just made him ache. He knew people jumped out of plans safely every day, but when it was _his _girl, it was different. It was more dangerous. But he stood and watched, fighting back his nature to protect.

When the instructors had finished educating Andy and the others, she came bouncing over to him. "They gave us a short break and then we're getting suited up!"

He leaned in to kiss her. "Be safe. I want you back in one piece."

Andy fought the urge to roll her eyes, knowing he was just being protective. "You sure you don't want to come with me?"

Sam chuckled. "Yeah, I'm perfectly okay keeping both feet on the ground." He watched her worrying her bottom lip. "You know, you don't have to go. We can get out of here and go, I don't know, hiking, shopping, back to the cottage, whatever you want."

She nodded, appreciative that he was giving her an easy out, but she didn't want to take it. "I know. I have to do this. I want to do this. Just, you know, don't make fun of me if you hear me screaming all the way down."

"Promise." He made the motion of zipping his lips and throwing away the key. She kissed his sealed lips before backing away to go find her instructor.

Half an hour later, her and five other people were boarded onto a small plane with the instructors that would be helping them. Nerves were flowing through her body and she thought she might throw up. She started second guessing her decision as the plane began its accent, but it was too late now to change her mind. Or was it? She pulled her phone out of her pocket and texted Sam.

_Don't think I can do this. I'm scared._

His response came quick. _**Don't back down now. You can do this.**_

_Stupid to think I could do this._

_**Why are you scared?**_

_You're not here. _

The plane began to even off when it reached 13,000-feet and by the hand motions the instructors were giving, she knew it was decision time.

The next text she received had her laughing. Sam sent a photo of himself with a goofy look on his face and the message _**I'm right there with you.**_

_Thank you :)_

"Are you ready?" one of the instructors shouted.

Andy looked down again at the photo on her phone before putting it back in her pocket and turned toward her instructor. She nodded. "Let's do this!"

She felt the air rushing at her as soon as she stepped out of the plane. Falling so fast toward the ground below her, an adrenaline rush surged through her, but she also felt oddly calm and at peace. She was flying and she could do anything she wanted. She had no fear. She pulled the cord to open her parachute and her body jerked back at the action. Soon she was floating smoothly toward land, and as the trees and buildings became larger, she was sad the experience was almost over.

Sam saw all the parachutes open and he instinctively knew which one was Andy even though he couldn't see their faces from this far away. He knew her body, her movements. Floating toward the ground he thought she looked like an angel, _his angel_.

As she neared the ground, she focused on her instructor, who was in front of her, and mimicked his movements as she was taught. She thudded to the ground a bit harder than expected, but the ride had been so thrilling she was deliriously happy.

As she waited for the staff to unhook the parachute and her equipment, she saw Sam in the distance and her grin got even larger. When the staff gave her the okay, she got up and ran toward him. "Sam!"

"How was it?" he asked, but already knew the answer by the look on her face.

"It was thrilling, amazing, wonderful. I'm so glad I did it!" She ran right into him, knocking him back a few feet as he tried to keep them upright. Arms circled around him tight, she leaned up to kiss him. "Thank you," she said when they parted.

"For what?"

"For being there." She pressed her lips to his again, kissing him passionately, not caring if they had an audience.

* * *

On their last full day in Temagami, Sam and Andy were in no rush to get out of bed knowing they'd soon be separated until after they were reinstated.

"Oh, my…God, Sam," she struggled to say between panted breaths.

Sam emerged from under the sheets and hovered over her. "You never know 'till you try."

"Holy…moly." Those were the only words she could form to describe Sam's magic. Like, never before had anyone made her feel that way. Ever.

"Holy moly? Is that the best you've got? Moly's not even a word." He leaned down to kiss her.

"Yeah, well, it is to me," she replied.

"Okay then, I'll take it."

"C'mon, one more time. One more."

"That's what you said last time," he smirked.

"You know I'll return the favor," she said before pouting.

"McNally..." He could never resist her with that look on her face. He crushed his lips to hers, mumbling "okay" into her mouth before disappearing under the sheets.

The day was half over by the time Sam and Andy abandoned the bed, took showers and got dressed. They were cleaning up after brunch, neither wanting to bring up the fact this was their last day together at their cottage hideaway. Andy folded and refolded the dishcloth she was holding, which didn't go unnoticed by Sam. "What do you wanna do today?" he asked.

Andy shrugged. "I don't know, uh, maybe we could...you know, maybe we could just stay around here. Watch more bad movies or something. Pretend we don't have to go back to reality."

Sam took her in his arms, bringing her flush against him as her arms hung at her sides. "Sounds good to me."

"What time do we have to leave tomorrow?" she asked.

"I'd say about 10am. That'll give us enough time to drive back to North Bay, get you situated at the hotel and drop off the rental car before my flight," he replied.

Her arms circled his waist and her head fell to his shoulder with a soft thud. "I'm gonna miss you."

"It's just a week. Then we'll be together again." He rubbed a hand up and down her back.

They sat down on the couch and Sam grabbed a pillow, placing it on his lap before tugging on Andy's arm. Realizing what he wanted, she laid on her side, head resting on Sam's lap. She lightly drew random shapes on his knee as he surfed through the channels before finding an action movie he knew was one of her favorites. He brushed her hair off her shoulder and let his hand rest in her hair, while the fingers of his other hand grazed up and down her arm, left bare by the tank top she wore.

Sam felt this need, like a magnet, to touch her, keep his hands on her, knowing he wouldn't be able to do again for a very long week.

* * *

They woke up early the next morning to finish packing before they drove back to North Bay. Andy quietly looked out the window, thinking about what awaited them back in Toronto, as Sam drove.

"You okay?" he asked

"Yeah." She turned and gave him a small smile. "Just thinking about seeing everyone again."

"You know what you're going to tell everyone?" he asked.

"I can tell them about everything I did, just not who I did it with," she replied.

When they arrived at the hotel, they got Andy checked into the room she'd be staying in for the night before returning the rental car and taking a shuttle to the airport. She watched as he checked in and got his ticket to St. Catharines. They held hands as they walked toward security, where there wasn't much of a line.

Still holding her hand, Sam stood in front of her. They'd put off goodbyes as long as they could, but it was time.

"I loved being able to do whatever we wanted whenever we wanted, but I miss being a cop," she said, her free hand sliding up his chest and resting just below his shoulder.

"It'll be good to get back to the city, but I have enjoyed your wilderness education," he said. "Be safe. Don't miss your flight tomorrow."

"I don't want to say goodbye," she said, her voice the same as a child not wanting to go to bed.

He saw the sadness in her eyes despite the small smile she forced. "It'll only be a week. We can manage that, right?" His free hand found the side of her face, just wanting, no needing, the extra contact with her.

"Yeah, sure, of course. Just a week."

"Hey, only a week. Move into your new condo, unpack...Be ready for us to christen it," he said, smirking. Her giggle didn't stop him from leaning in so his breath was tickling her ear. "The bed, the shower, the couch, the kitchen."

"Sam!" She gently shoved his chest and when he pulled back he saw the blush on her cheeks.

"What? Gotta look forward to something to get through the week, right?" He circled his arms around her waist and she mirrored his position. He knew he really had to go. He nuzzled her nose with his briefly before bringing his lips to hers.

"I gotta go," he said, when they finally parted.

"I know. I'm gonna miss you."

"Me too." He placed a chaste kiss on her lips before pulling out of her embrace.

She watched him throw her one last smile before he went through security, and she walked outside to take a cab back to the hotel.

* * *

Andy changed into her uniform and she couldn't help but constantly run her hands over the dark blue material to smooth it. She was excited to finally be back on the job, and to see Sam for the first time since she left him at the airport. She left the locker room and was walking down the hall when she spotted him leaving the break room with his morning coffee. "Officer Swarek," she said as she closed the distance and caught his eye.

"Officer McNally."

"Nice to see you again, _sir_." Her eyes betrayed the serious tone of her voice, showing the fun she was having with this reunion.

"Be sure and get your coffee, McNally. Wouldn't want you cranky all day," he teased.

"We're riding together?" she asked surprised and excited.

"On the desk. Apparently, even after three months there's plenty of paperwork for us to do." He sipped some of his coffee, glancing over to the corner of the bullpen. "We should charge admission."

Andy followed his gaze to see Traci, Chris, Dov, Gail, Oliver, Jerry and Noelle suddenly absorbed in an imaginary piece of paper on the desk they were huddled around. She laughed at how much their friends were interested in their relationship. "They just want to see how we react after three months apart."

"Professional, nothing but professional," he said, fighting back a smile as they walked to the parade room together. It'd been a week since he saw her last and he wanted nothing more than to push her up against the wall in an interrogation room and have his hands all over her, but he kept his urges in check.

As difficult as she thought it would be to act like they hadn't seen each other in three months, Andy thought it was coming surprisingly easy because the last week had seemed like months. After spending nearly every waking moment of nearly three months together, going cold turkey without so much as even a phone call for a week made them want and miss each other even more.

"Your place tonight?" he asked once they reached the parade room. The back of her hand brushed against his as she started to walk by him to find a seat.

"Absolutely." She tossed a smile over her shoulder at him as she sat down waiting for Parade to begin.

* * *

The End


End file.
